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Honda hope to hit right note among buyers with new Jazz Hybrid
publication date: Feb 26, 2011
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author/source: Robin Roberts & David Miles
After kick-starting the hybrid era in the late
1990s, Honda has expanded the market into the small mpv sector with the
introduction of the latest Jazz Hybrid.
With the arrival of the new Jazz Hybrid it also
shows that this technology is going to become more mainstream and familiar in
successive generations of models by the Japanese car maker and dual-power
systems will not be separate or individual model lines.The arrival of the Jazz Hybrid also means that with
the original Insight and newer CRZ, the dual-powered models will account for a
tenth of Honda UK sales this year. |  |
Hybrids can mean tax and fuel saving benefits,
particularly for company car users and in most cases bring congestion charge
exclusions. As a consequence it is expected the hybrid share of total UK
registrations by all manufacturers will steadily rise over the next few years,
along with the pure electric models we know are coming.
Jazz is in its ninth year of production and the
model has been significantly refreshed on two occasions, including the latest,
and possibly this is the biggest change with the re-introduction of a
continuously variable transmission instead of a semi-automatic stick shift from
the original and the inclusion of the hybrid version.
The revised and enhanced Honda Jazz five door ‘supermini'
sized range goes on sale 1 March in time to catch the new 11-plate shoppers.
Headline act from the new Jazz line-up is the
petrol/Hybrid version which sits alongside the 1.2 and 1.4 petrol models. Prices start at £11,295 for the 1.2 S,
£13,495 for the 1.4 ES and £15,995 for the Hybrid HE. Specification grades are
S for the 1.2-litre petrol models, ES and EX for the 1.4-litre petrol versions
and HE, HS and HX for the 1.3-litre petrol/Hybrid models.
The CVT automatic transmission is an extra £1,000
for the 1.4 petrol models and standard fit in Hybrid versions. This change followed feedback from Jazz owners
and 40% of customers opt for the auto gearbox.
Petrol engined models of the Jazz are built at
Honda's UK manufacturing plant at Swindon alongside their Civic family sized
five door hatchbacks and CR-V 4x4 SUVs. Jazz Hybrid models are built in Japan,
the same as their Hybrid Insight family hatchback and CR-Z Coupe.
In the UK Honda will sell in a full year 27,000 of
the revised petrol Jazz models and 3,000 of the new Jazz Hybrid. Around 70% of
UK customers will opt for a 1.4-litre petrol version and it is Honda's most
popular model range, with a predominantly older buyer profile who value its
ease of access and room.
Loyalty is a big element for the Jazz. Over 60% of
Jazz owners remain Jazz owners but the downside is the average age of their
owners is 65 years, 10 years on average higher than traditional ‘supermini'
buyers. However Honda sees that average age reducing as young buyers, singles
and families, are likely to be attracted to the new Hybrid technology and lower running costs as fuel prices
increase, customers reduce their annual mileages and downsize their cars as the
family budget comes under more pressure.
Honda also sees an increase in sales from fleet and
corporate users who are also looking to reduce their motoring costs and the BIK
company car tax penalty. With emissions just above the 100gkm mark however, the
Jazz Hybrid does not avoid the London charge.
| | | |  | Steve Kirk, communications manager for Honda UK
said the 2011 model year Jazz range is the same but better and the revisions
come from suggestions made by their loyal owners to improve efficiency, ride
and handling feel.
He added, "The Hybrid additional powertrain is the
world's first in the B-segment (supermini) and it is the most affordable Hybrid
on sale in the UK. It is the first Honda to have a Hybrid version in an already
tried and tested model range." |
The
established 1.2-litre and best-selling 1.4-litre i-VTEC petrol engines have
benefited from some small reductions in CO2 values and improved fuel economy.
The 1.4-litre manual variant with manual transmission has emissions starting at
126 g/km, down from 128 g/km, and uses 51.4mpg on the combined cycle.
This means
a VED road tax charge of £0 for the First Year and £90 per annum after that. The
fuel sipping 1.2 litre engine uses 53.3mpg and also drops two grams of CO2 to
123g/km so the VED charges are the same as the larger unit. Prices for the 1.2
Jazz start from £11,295. | | | | First impressions
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The smaller
1.2-litre, 89bhp unit is very free revving and eager but it is linked with a
five speed manual transmission and there were times on the open road that I
kept wishing I had a six speed gearbox which would bring benefits in noise
reduction and fuel economy.
As it is the
busy engine note combines with the road rumbles and suspension to produce intrusive
sounds. My drive resulted in an
indicated 53.3mpg.
I managed
to see 56.3mpg with the 1.3-litre 87bhp petrol engine and CVT auto transmission
in the Hybrid. It has been tuned to have six change up points and this makes it
surprisingly responsive as well as smooth and very easy to drive, so I can see
why it could be particularly popular with some drivers, although it is still
appreciably noisier than a conventional automatic box.
With Jazz
Hybrid prices from £15,995 with the CVT transmission as standard it is £1,500
more than the conventional 1.4-litre petrol CVT. There is the ECO mode function
available at the push of a button, lots of information as to power or Hybrid
boost modes in operation and the dials change colour from blue to green as a
prompt to fuel efficient driving. There is also the usual auto stop/start
function as well.
The lower
CO2 emissions mean £0 VED for the First Year for the Hybrid and £10 a year
after that. Company car drivers will pay
only 10% BIK tax as opposed to £15% for the non-Hybrid Jazz models. Tricky sums to be undertaken and for the
record the 104g/km from the Jazz Hybrid means it doesn't get around the London
Congestion charge either.
Conventional
diesel superminis such as the VW Polo Bluemotion and Ford Fiesta Econetic are
cheaper to buy, return better mpg figures and have sub 100g/km emission levels
as well. The more expensive (£19,545)
and slightly larger Toyota Auris Hybrid has emissions of only 89g/km and returns
an official 74.3mpg.
The roomy new
Honda Jazz range is very welcome and its improvements will win favour with a
lot of buyers, but in purely financial terms the Hybrid's benefits are slim
when compared with the rest of the range and further diminish against
eco-competitors. |
 
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